Books & ideas

The Origins of Environmental History

Kevin Bouillot — 2026-04-28T07:03:34Z

Our understanding of nature differs from that of the Greeks and Romans. From the “month of the ox” to “the forest goddess,” the ancients never thought to separate humans from the flora and fauna around them.

Arendt in Dark Times

Anne Schwarz — 2026-04-23T07:30:00Z

As 2025 marks the fiftieth anniversary of Hannah Arendt's death, a new book offers a fresh perspective on a little-known yet pivotal period in the philosopher's life and work.

Returning to Life

Laura Hobson Faure — 2026-04-21T06:30:00Z

A collective work traces the emotional and psychological journeys of Holocaust survivors in the immediate postwar period. It examines both the practices of caregivers and the strategies survivors employed to reintegrate into society.

An Anti-Totalitarian Publisher

Robin Freymond — 2026-04-16T07:30:00Z

Backed by Raymond Aron and Manès Sperber, the French publishing house Calmann-Lévy championed anti-communism and the fight against totalitarianism from the end of World War II.

To your machines, citizens!

Stanislas Deprez — 2026-04-14T07:00:00Z

Against the trend towards experts having exclusive control over technological development — justified on the grounds of the public's alleged incompetence — Adeline Barbin argues that citizens should be given greater power so as to ensure that techniques are consistent with democratic values.

A World of Waste

Jean-Philippe Pierron — 2026-03-31T08:00:00Z

We would rather not see or even think about our waste, but it has a lot to tell us about our habits, our lives, and more importantly, about what we are doing to our world today.

In Praise of the Unpropertied

Pierre Crétois — 2026-03-26T08:30:00Z

Marx misunderstood Proudhon: he criticized him for neglecting the relations of production, when in fact the French anarchist was interested in the political subjugation that, in his view, private property inevitably causes.

Roman menus

Kevin Bouillot — 2026-03-24T08:00:00Z

Ancient Roman diets were based on health concerns as well as moral and political considerations. Frugality and pleasure were not mutually exclusive. Eating was about more than filling one's stomach.

The Golden Age of Museum Philanthropy

Nicolas Duvoux — 2026-03-19T08:30:00Z

At a time when public museums are struggling due to budget cuts and the need for renovations, the opening of many private foundations marks a shift in the Parisian museum landscape. Against this backdrop, G. Adam offers a comprehensive overview of the issues surrounding the rise of private museums.

A historical cruise through Paris' rivers

Pauline Guéna — 2026-03-17T11:00:00Z

Between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, as the monarchy established its authority across French territory, the rivers of the Paris Basin continued to be managed by various actors through negotiations aimed at coordination.